Aldnoah: Liberation
by paomayo
Summary: For the Militia, their war is not over but for a certain princess, it becomes an opportunity to rescue her people following the former's raid on an IMC research station on New Bethlehem. However, the planet she calls home holds a secret that is begining to be uncovered.
1. Chapter 1 - Birth of Aldnoah

_All trademarks, properties and copyrights associated with the manufacturers, models, trade names, entertainment and brands depicted in this fanfic are the property of their respective owners._

 **XXXXXXX**

In a wide field near the city, a young child with red eyes and blonde hair was traversing playfully while touching the grass. As she continued, birds chirped while they were flying above her.

"Hah...!" She uttered. "Tehehe!"

She raised her right hand as if she could touch them even though she cannot. She then gave chase for a short distance before the call of her mother filled the air.

"Mira! Don't go too far or you might get lost!"

"I will, Mama!" She decided to return to her parents as they were preparing the picnic. Because her father left to do an unexpected errand, the only one present outside of the child was her mother who was a beautiful lady sporting long, blonde hair and green eyes. To complement them, a matching white dress with some decorative floral and lunar ornaments was worn.

"You look just like me when I was growing up." The mother compared her childhood to Mira's as she brought out a container full of spaghetti.

"You think so, Mama?"

"Yes. I wondered what it was like to go out of my familiar home to explore what everything around me works and how they look like." She then kneeled before giving a gentle pat on the daughter's head. "The birds, the sky, the green, beautiful fields...everything."

"Tehehe!" She then walked a few steps back to tell her the birds. "Mama, I saw the birds flying close to me!"

"What do they look like?"

"Well...they have some green feathers and some...ummm..." She struggled to remember. "Oh...they have orange ones on the wings."

"Hehe." The mother chuckled. "This reminds me of your father."

"Why?" Mira became curious. "Why does the birds remind you of Papa?"

"Because..." She began to hold the daughter's left hand. "He had that same colors when he went to a place far away."

"What place, Mama?"

"I'll tell you a story." The mother wrapped Mira in her arms warmly. "It happened a long time ago..."

 **XXXXXXX**

"This is the MCS Topeka, we are approaching the drop point. Request Hornet support on our coordinates, over."

"Affirmative Topeka, this is Hailstorm 1, we are approaching your position. Preparing for attack run."

"This is Captain Hall of the 10th Militia Grenadiers, we are approaching the IMC research base. I'm seeing multiple Titans and IMC foot units guarding the west entrance. Requesting fire support, over."

 **(Onboard the MCS** _ **Topeka**_ **, 2000 ft. above New Bethlehem - Start of Operation Bigfoot)**

The Titan Pilots of the Special Recon Squadron's Marauder Corps began to prepare their _Vanguard_ -class Titans for Titanfall on the planet of New Bethlehem, a semi-arid planet that was housing a suspected Interstellar Manufacturing Corporation research station.

Onboard the orange Titan chassis KG-4912, a young Pilot of Japanese descent was interacting with a Mk. III Mobile Robotic Versatile Entity Automated Assistant unit or "Marvin". After the checks were complete, he gave a thumbs up to the Marvin which, in turn, displayed a yellow smiling face as a sign of satisfaction. It saluted before the elevator it was standing on was lowered.

"Alright Pilots, this won't be an easy task." The captain began to brief his subordinates. "We may have kicked some IMC asses back at Typhon but ARES won't give up very easily. Our target is an IMC research station on New Bethlehem. We need to both steal and sabotage any of their work so that we can gain an edge against them. Everyone clear?

"Clear!" The Pilots responded.

"All units, weapons hot!" The Pilots began to arm their weapons to allow them to attack rapidly. "Standby for Titanfall!" The doors below them opened in preparation for the fall. "3...2...1...release!"

The Titans got out of the _Topeka_ from below as they begin their descent towards the ground. Inside KG-4912, the Pilot watched as the devastation continued; Hornets of the Militia and Phantoms of the IMC continued with their dogfight under AA fire while explosions on the ground erupted due to the missiles and firefights. Then, the Titans hit the ground and a moment after, they aimed their weapons. KG's was a Plasma Railgun under the Northstar loadout.

"This is Lieutenant Kaizuka, I'm moving in." He then spotted two IMC Northstars in front of him. "Be advised, we have two enemy Northstars flying above 56 meters at 12 o'clock."

"Copy that, Kaizuka." Jack Cooper, a fellow Pilot using Titan chassis GR-2103, responded before spotting a Legion Titan. "Wait! We also have a Legion here, 10 o'clock at 50 meters."

"Understood." Kaizuka then aimed his weapon at one of the Northstars before the latter spotted him. It fired a shot but Kaizuka avoided it by combining the environment with his turbojet dash. Then, he began to return fire. "Firing!

The projectile damaged the flight systems of the IMC Titan, forcing it to stay grounded.

"One grounded, I'll take the other."

"Roger. I'll take the Legion." Cooper responded.

"KG, any updates on the others?"

"They are still taking fire at the west drop point." KG replied. "I recommend we quickly push through."

"Affirmative." He began to fire a second shot at the remaining Northstar. After taking a hit to the data core, it began to crash-land. "Enemy down!"

Cooper began to use his Vortex Shield as he approached the Legion Titan that is trying to stop him using its Predator Cannon. He took many of the bullets and dashed to the left to release it at the sender. Though the Legion activated its Gun Shield to stop any projectiles, a few managed to hit it before the flight path was even blocked.

"Kaizuka, he's exposed!"

"Engaging VTOL!" KG began to fly up and he fired a single Cluster Missile at the exposed body while dodging enemy fire. The damage caused the Legion to catch fire. "He's hit!"

Cooper began to dash forward and he fired his X0-16 Chaingun at the damaged enemy. The latter tried to fight back but the Militia Titan ripped apart the gun from its hand and fired four Multi-Target Missiles to finish it off.

"Legion down! Let's move up."

The other Militia Titans, some using older designs such as the _Atlas_ and _Stryder_ -classes continued fighting the IMC units.

"I need two on the right providing support fire!" A Pilot in an _Atlas_ requested.

"Copy, moving in." Another in an _Ion_ -class responded before moving in.

"There! 2 o'clock!" An IMC _Tone_ -class began to fire its rounds in order to fire Tracking Rockets. "Damn...I'm hit!"

"Enemy damaged." The IMC Pilot reported. "Commencing attack."

"Fall back, Keith!" A fellow Pilot in a _Tone_ ordered as he began to activate his Particle Wall to shield him. "Go! Go! The damaged _Stryder_ began to head away from the fight as his colleague continued firing. "Requesting fire on that Tone!"

Kaizuka and Cooper continued their advance towards the facility when they found Reapers among them.

"Pilot, multiple Reapers and IMC foot units approaching." KG warned. "Maintain your distance." This prompted Kaizuka to contact the captain.

"Captain, we need support here." Kaizuka requested before aiming his weapon. "Multiple Reapers and foot units detected, likely with anti-Titan ordinance."

"This is Captain Omar, roger. Moving to support." The leader agreed. "Any available units, follow me and provide support to Mustang 1 and 2."

Cooper began to provide cover fire as he used his Vortex Shield to catch many of the incoming projectiles before sending them back. As well, Kaizuka hovered above to see the landscape in front of them.

"Sir, there's too many defenses to handle." He made an assessment.

"Stay calm Kaizuka, just try to hold on for a while longer." Cooper suggested as he continued firing the chaingun.

"Based on experience?" KG fired another Cluster Missile at a single IMC position.

"Yeah...back at Typhon." He reminisced about his most notable operation. "Me and my previous Titan BT-7274 fought in a battle like this one; we tried to take an item from them called the Ark but after the Apex Predators gave it to ARES, we decided to destroy it...and it cost Typhon due to its energy."

"How powerful?" Kaizuka then took cover with KG.

"Enough to destroy a planet. BT sacrificed himself to destroy it."

"Holy crap!"

The Reapers then came closer to the Titans and they opened fire while dashing. This caused the latter to suffer some damage.

"Warning: hull damage confirmed." Cooper's Titan reported and its Pilot dashed sideways to try avoiding their fire. He then fired the Multi-Tracking Missiles at the Reapers which caused considerable damage to them. Five bursts from the chaingun finished them off.

"That takes care of them." He sighed. "Lastimosa, I'm still getting better."

"Still remembering your old mentor, I see." GR commented at Cooper regarding his old teacher.

"Yeah...and BT as well."

As the firefight continued, Captain Omar arrived with three allied Titans to provide support.

"We'll take it from here. Get moving, we'll cover you." He relieved them.

"Thanks for the assist, sir." Cooper responded. "Mustang 1 is oscar-mike."

"Mustang 2, moving out as well." Kaizuka followed.

The group began to advance until the reached the entrance to the main building. IMC resistance remained high as eight Titans were at the ready. This prompted them to open fire.

"The Militia has breached our defenses!" The lead IMC Pilot reported. "Don't let them get through!"

The IMC returned fire as they moved in for the counterattack. One of them in a _Scortch_ -class fired its T-203 Thermite Launcher at them to discourage any further Militia movement. Then, a Militia _Atlas_ fired its chaingun at the Titan to return fire.

"Watch out for thermite pools!" He shouted the warning before a IMC _Northstar_ took off to attack from above.

"Deploying Flight Core!" He uttered as he fired many missiles at them. Though the Militia kept moving to evade, one of the missiles hit a _Ronin_ -class Titan.

"I'm hit...AACCKKK!" These were the last words of the Pilot as his Titan exploded.

"Wasp 3's down, crap!" A fellow Pilot uttered in horror.

Kaizuka and KG took off as well to engage the Titan in a dogfight. "I'll deal with him. Go!"

The two Titans performed manuvers to evade their fire. As Kaizuka waited for a good aim, the IMC _Northstar_ fired a railgun shot at him, grazing KG's left shoulder.

"Warning: we are taking damage." He uttered before AA fire lit up the sky. "Pilot, we have to finish this now if we want to avoid their AA fire."

"I see it." Kaizuka assured before pushing forward towards the enemy Titan. It tried to shoot Kaizuka and KG down but they evaded every shot until they punched the hull to severly damage the _Northstar_. "Got him."

The two began their controlled descent to the ground as their prey dropped rapidly to crash and explode. Below, the group began to get the upper hand against the IMC with survivors either meleeing their enemies to defeat or shot dead by ranged attack.

"That's all of them." Cooper uttered before sighing.

"Cooper, I had to say: Lastimosa made a good move training you for this, albeit unofficially." Omar commended his actions. "You can join us when you have the chance. We always look for talented Pilots like you."

"Thank you, sir." Cooper responded. "Though, I have some other things to deal with."

"That's okay. It's still on the table." Then, Kaizuka and KG landed.

"Enemy Northstar down, sir." Kaizuka reported.

"Good." He then began to relay the order. "Listen, you and Cooper should go on ahead through the facility while me and the rest will relieve the west drop point. The 6-4 will meet you there."

"Roger." Cooper agreed. "Kaizuka, let's go."

"Copy that."

 **XXXXXXX**

Inside the facility, the IMC soldiers were taking losses as the 6-4 moved forward.

"Got multiple snipers on that platform over there!" Droz reported before firing his R-101X Carbine.

"I see them." The leader, Gates, responded before firing three shots using the Longbow-DMR. "Got 'em!"

Nearby, Bear and Davis took cover as the latter began to reload before arming a fragmentation grenade.

"Throwing frag!" He shouted as he threw it timely. Upon landing, the detonation killed two enemy soldiers in an air-burst.

As the firefight continued, Gates began to receive a transmission from Cooper. "6-4, this is Mustang 1, we have entered the facility and are encountering some heavy resistance." He reported while gunfire can be heard in the background. "We'll meet you shortly."

"Roger, thank you for joining." Gates responded. "We are still moving from the north entrance at a slow pace as we speak due to IMC resistance. In the meantime, just keep kicking their asses. We'll see you as well. Gates out." She turned her attention to her comrades. "We have allied forces coming in from the south! Let's push on!"

"Affirmative!" Droz responded before firing a shot at another IMC grunt.

At the south, the grunts and Spectres were being pushed back as the two Militia Titans continued with their offensive. As the fight continued, their cockpits were opened to reveal the Pilots, each wearing the signature SRS helmet with some personal decals. Kaizuka opted for one featuring some patches of digital green-and-orange while Cooper retained the design of its previous owner, Captain Tai Lastimosa, that sports dual orange stripes slowly converging at the front and a blue decal on the left side of the cranial section.

Both men were armed with R-201 Carbines as their primary weapons. They flattened their bodies towards the crates as they took cover while waiting for the right moment to fire back. Kaizuka then armed a frag grenade and threw it towards the IMC forces. An explosion later, he opened fire at two grunts before taking cover again. Cooper then did the same without throwing any explosive ordinance to kill one grunt.

"There are still three Stalkers ahead. I suggest that we use cover extensively." Cooper suggested. "Ever encountered one?"

"A few times before, Cooper." Kaizuka responded. "Eden and Angel City."

"Good, because there is one model we would be most interested in...if we can find one." This made Kaizuka confused.

"What kind?"

"That model has an LSTAR as primary." The veteran answered based on experience. "We take one and we can save our bullets for less hardened targets. The energy will disable the circuits in a few shots."

"Thank you for the tip, Cooper." The other Pilot then fired a few more shots to kill a Spectre before reloading. "Reloading!"

"Roger!" The veteran then took a peek at the path ahead to see that it is clear. "Let's go but keep eyes peeled on all sides. GR, KG, time to get a move on."

"Roger that, Pilot." His Titan complied.

The group began to move forward cautiously with their weapons reloaded. The Titans then took control of the weapons dropped by fallen IMC units as well with their available ammunition boxes taken away.

As they moved along the corridors, they encountered more resistance as a single _Ronin_ -class Titan was among those.

"Take cover!" The two Pilots hurriedly went to the walls as their Titans began to fight the IMC unit.

"Two Vanguard-class Titans spotted, moving to engage." The IMC Pilot confirmed. "A'ight, time to taste plasma."

"We are engaging enemy Titan. Danger close." KG informed before firing the acquired Leadwall Shotgun. GR settled with a 40mm Tracker Cannon.

The IMC _Ronin_ then performed a Phase Dash to quickly get behind the Militia Titans before unsheathing a handle. The handle was slightly bigger than that of a regular Titan broadsword and a moment later, much to the surprise of the Militia Pilots, a plasma blade was emitted.

"The hell?!" Cooper reacted. "Is that plasma?!"

"Analysis: confirmed. It is indeed a stabilized plasma blade." GR confirmed. 'KG, we must avoid the plasma blade. It will cause severe damage and melting upon contact."

"Copy that, GR." KG responded before making careful dashed within the somewhat narrow confines of the facility. The _Ronin_ began swinging its blade to try making successful hits. KG fired the shotgun before the IMC Titan deflected most of the bullets. It then did another Phase Dash to get behind KG but the latter dashed again to evade.

Kaizuka, not wanting to see their Titans be destroyed, armed an Arc Grenade and timely threw it towards the _Ronin_. Upon detonation, the electric arc disrupted some key systems.

"Gah! So you want to play dirty, eh?" The Pilot uttered before turning to see the two Pilots. He armed his Leadwall and fired a failed shot before attending to the Militia Titans. He then sliced of GR's cannon but in retaliation, KG fired a shotgun round onto the _Ronin_ before making a punch through the body. "GAAAHHH!" The Pilot uttered as his Titan was destroyed. It then fell towards the floor.

"Nice thinking, Kaizuka." KG commented before acquiring the intact blade. "Pilots, based on my analysis, the technology employed by this blade is foreign."

"Just like the Fold Weapon on Typhon, eh?" Cooper made a comparison to the weapon on the now-destroyed planet. "The IMC wouldn't be able to replicate it on their own."

"Correct, Cooper. We must be careful from now on." The group then began to move ahead.

A radio transmission was then received. It came from the 6-4.

"Mustangs, this is Gates, we managed to push through the East Loading Bay and are standing by at the server room. You might wanna see this." Gates repoted with some news.

"What do you mean, ma'am?" Kaizuka asked.

"Sending location to your HUD. There's more to this facility that meets the eye."

"Understood, we're oscar-mike." Cooper responded.

"Copy. Gates out."

 **XXXXXXX**

Following the coordinates set by the 6-4, the two Pilots arrived at the server room of the facility's second basement. Upon arrival, the two Pilots saluted to Gates.

"What do you have, Gates?" Cooper asked before the 6-4 leader began to show the Pilots some schematics.

"ARES has been doing reverse-engineering on some technology based on Aldnoah, if this is correct."

Kaizuka took a closer look and expressed his surprise. "Wow... They wanted it that bad, huh?"

"Not only that, much of the tech the IMC tried to replicate failed in its function." Bear followed. "Based on that, the "Aldnoah" technology might require something to function properly. Make it like a proverbial key to the door."

"Got it. So what now?"

"I suggest we expand the search to the entire facility. Make sure they don't slip anything groundbreaking out of our noses." Gate suggested before a friendly radio transmission was received. "I need a sitrep."

"This is Hailstorm 1, we've spotted a convoy of IMC vehicles escaping the facility and are heading north." The Hornet pilot reported. "Three Northstars guarding the target; can't get through at this time. Requesting assistance."

KG and GR then detected energy readings.

"Pilots, we've detected unusual enegry readings from the convoy." KG informed. "Whatever they are transporting, it could be related to the research we have encountered."

"Affirmative." Kaizuka then began to head inside KG. "Cooper, can you stay here? Me and KG can get to them quickly."

"Roger." The veteran agreed. "Me and the others will hold on here to investigate. Fair-winds."

"Fair-winds, Coop." The duo began to find an open exit to allow them flight. On the way there, Kaizuka began switching channels to contact the Hornets. "Hailstorm 1, this is Mustang 2, engage only the Titans and defensive ordinance. I repeat, engage only the Titans and defensive ordinance. I'll be there to help, how copy?"

"Copy, Mustang 2." Hailstorm 1 responded. "We'll engage their defenses. Hailstorm 1, out."

 **XXXXXXX**

Outside, the Hornets began to attack the Titans and the armed vehicles as requested. The Milita air squadron then began to realize the skills of the Pilots in the _Northstars_.

"Hailstorm 3, enemy Titan at your 7 o'clock!" A pilot warned. "Jink left!"

Hailstorm 3 began a tight left-hand turn to try shaking off the flying _Northstar_.

"He's still on me!" He shouted for help.

"Got a tone!" Hailstorm 1 achieved a lock. "Fox 2!"

The missile was launched at the Titan but it missed due to the latter's flying ability. It managed to head up quickly before acquiring a lock on its own.

"Target lock. Fox fire 10." The Pilot uttered before firing a single missile at Hailstorm 1. The latter tried maneuvering but the _Northstar_ fired a round at the airframe, disabling some critical systems.

"Ahhhh...I'm hit!" Hailstorm 1 shouted before the missile finished him off. His fighter became a flaming wreck.

"Hailstorm 1's down!" Hailstorm 2 radioed the survivors. "Need help here! Gaaahhh!"

A round then shot the second-in-command down. Then, Kaizuka and KG arrived.

"This is Mustang 2, ready for tasking." The former said. "KG, how's the thrusters?"

"Operating at 75% capacity." KG informed.

"Copy." The duo began to fire a salvo of the remaining missiles onto the enemy Titans. They began evadind but Kaizuka began studying their flight patterns before leading one for a railgun shot. A trigger pull successfully disabled the flight systems of the first IMC unit. "One down."

"Thanks, Mustang 2!" Hailstorm 3 replied thankfully. "We owe you one."

"Stay focused, Hailstorm 3. We ain't done yet."

"Affirmative, sir."

The remaining Hornet began to fight alongside the _Vanguard_ Titan in order to stop the remaining two _Northstars_. They began to give chase.

"Dragoon 3, target the Hornet. The Vanguard's mine!" Dragoon 1 ordered.

As Dragoon 1 trailed on KG and Kaizuka, the latter two began flying high in a erratic fashion which made the IMC Pilot lose lock-on very quickly.

"That bugger!" He uttered before reacquiring lock-on. "Fox 8!"

The missiles began flying towards KG but the latter, with the help of Kaizuka's imput, evaded them.

"Now!" The thrusters were cut off that allowed them to get behind Dragoon 1. "Firing!"

A railgun round was fired on the leader. It penetrated the _Northstar_ 's thrusters, causing a fire before an explosion ruptured it completely.

"I'm hit! Mayday, mayday!" Dragoon 1 shouted as his Titan began plummeting to the ground. "Dragoon 1's going down!"

"Hailstorm 3, moving in to support." Kaizuka reported.

"Copy...need some help! The damn Northstar's ain't giving up!" Hailstorm 3 requested.

Hailstorm 3 continued attempting to shake Dragoon 3 off his six. The Titan's construction, however, allowed itself to stay on the Hornet.

"Fox fire 8!" Dragoon 3 uttered while launching two missiles on the aircraft.

"Whoa!" Hailstorm 3 uttered as he made hard maneuvers to try shaking off the missiles. "It's gettin' hot here!"

Suddenly, his computer systems detected failure within the aircraft's control surfaces. His right wing's flap began to malfunction and the aircraft began to bank right dangerously

"Crap...mayday, mayday, I have a failed control surface!" He tried to regain control under fire before making his judgment. "Can't maintain course! Ejecting!" He pulled the ejection lever that pushed his seat upwards away from his aircraft.

"Too easy..." Dragoon 3 uttered before flying past Hailstorm 3 as he helplessly floats to the bottom.

"Huh?!" The pilot shrieked in fear when he saw the Titan beginning his approach towards Hailstorm 3. Bracing for his fate, he crossed his arms directly in front of his face.

Suddenly, a shot instantly destroyed Dragoon 3.

"Hailstorm 3, are you okay?" Kaizuka asked as he picked up the pilot.

"I'm fine...thank you for saving my ass up here." The pilot felt grateful.

The group returned to the ground at a gentle pace and Hailstorm 3 jumped to the ground.

"Hailstorm 3, recommend that you seek cover." KG said. "We will handle the convoy from here."

"I want to help you guys." Hailstorm 3 uttered as he unsheathed his Hammond P2016 sidearm. "Besides, I still have a gun to shoot."

"If you want, just remember to take cover." Kaizuka echoed KG. "This is gonna get dangerous."

"Roger, sir."

The group approached the convoy as the latter detected them a few moments earlier.

"Here they come!" An IMC soldier warned. "Don't let them get through!"

Heavy ordinance was used with the loss of their Titan escorts as they began their last-ditch defense. Hailstorm 3 and Kaizuka took cover as they opened fire with their weapons. The armed trucks began firing their anti-Titan missiles at KG but one by one, they were destroyed.

"...requesting back-up!" One grunt shouted in despair.

It became clear that they were no match for the outnumbered-but-well-prepared foes. The IMC foot soldiers tried but they were gradually shot dead and their armored trucks were blown up.

"Enemy forces eliminated." KG confirmed. "Pilot, Hailstorm 3, one life sign detected on the third cargo truck. We should investigate."

"Copy." Kaizuka nodded. "Hailstorm 3..."

"Just "Jake", by the way." He requested that the Pilot use Hailstorm 3's nickname.

"Affirmative, Jake."

The group approached the third truck with their weapons armed and reloaded. Upon arrival, Kaizuka used a cutter to open the rear doors. Once done, they turned on their flashligts to inspect the cargo hold.

"See anything?" Jake asked.

"There." Kaizuka pointed to a capsule that was standing. On it were panels to monitor the heartbeat of the occupant. "Holy hell... Jake, bring this outside! KG, report to Cooper and Gates; we have someone here."

"Copy that, Pilot." KG complied. "This is KG-4912 to Gates, we have a test subject under our custody. Requesting transport for exfiltration."

"Copy that, KG. Sending dropship transport...out." Gates responded.

The two men carefully put the capsule outside and layed it on the path. Kaizuka then found the slot to insert his Data Knife onto it. As the connection was made, a hologram was projected from the handle that indicates the hack's progress.

A few moments after, the hack was successful and the capsule opened to reveal the occupant. In it was a beautiful, young girl wearing a white jumpsuit that was registered with the numbers 0015. As well, she was wearing a necklace with lunar ornaments.

"Why would the IMC bastards take a girl away?" Jake wondered. "That's insane."

"Me too." Kaizuka wondered. "Whatever it is, she might have some information. Let's get her out of here."

"Right."

Kaizuka began to carry the unconscious girl away from the convoy towards KG.

"KG, we have a test subject." Kaizuka informed. "She's unconscious."

"Let me check." KG requested and the girl was laid for a field scan. "Interesting. She has some energy signatures not registered within my databases or those of the Militia's. Her condition is normal; no anomalies detected."

"Oh, thank goodness." Jake sighed.

Kaizuka nodded with a slight smile before performing a radio contact with his allies. "6-4, this is Mustang 2, we have stopped the convoy and...they are carrying a girl with some energy signatures."

"What do you mean, Mustang 2?" Gates asked.

"Unknown at this time. We will be bringing the girl for exfil, how copy?"

"Solid copy, Mustang 2. We just received word that Captain Omar and his men have arrived at the west entrance to relieve our forces there. Our guys will be annexing the facility shortly. Return to the AO immediately. Gates out."

The transmission ended before KG detected an unknown on his scanners.

"Warning: unknown hostile detected at bearing 338." KG reported.

"Great! An IMC Titan?!" Jake uttered in shock.

"Negative. This one's unique."

Then, the mysterious object landed near the group. Unlike KG, it has a larger chassis, slender appendages, and more elegant looks. To further differentiate, it even has a more metallic finish and red "eyes".

"What the hell is that thing?! Kaizuka uttered in disbelief.

"Analysis: unknown. There are no known Titan designs of this type." KG reported.

"What should we do with the girl, then?" Jake asked.

"Go...I'll take care of it. You go ask for help." The Pilot requested before entering KG.

"Yes sir!" Jake responded before bringing the girl to safety.

"KG, let's go!" The hatch closed before critical systems were transferred to Kaizuka. "What do we have on that "thing"?"

"I haven't been able to properly scan the properties of the unit." The Titan replied. "We need to be careful."

"Copy that."

The unknown unit began sprinting towards the duo in an aggressive manner but the latter took off to evade. Suddenly, five pods were detached from the unit and began firing laser beams at the Titan.

"Fuel capacity's at 34%." KG informed.

"I see it." Kaizuka then armed the last ammunition box for the Plasma Railgun. Firing powerful shots, he attacked the unit directly instead of the laser pods while staying mobile. By the time the railgun was depleted of reserve ammunition, the unknown unit took some considerable damage.

"KG, let's use the plasma sword."

"Copy that, Pilot." KG then grabbed hold of the handle and activated the blade. The duo began diving towards the enemy as the latter tried to shoot them down. The remaining missiles were then fired at the enemy but were intercepted mid-way. Unexpected, the plasma sword was thrown onto the body.

Away from the fighting, Jake lowered the girl before opening contact with Miltia forces.

"This is Hailstorm 3, we are engaged with an unidentified Titan! Requesting support on our position, over!"

"Copy that, sending available Hornet assets to your position." The captain of the _Topeka_ agreed. "ETA 2 minutes."

The enemy remained firm even under unbalanced circumstances. It began to attempt a few melee attacks once Kaizuka and KG went directly close to it. The duo used some of their remaining fuel to dash clear.

"Man, that thing looks like it was built to take some heavy punches." Kaizuka commented.

"I detected a complement." The Titan commented.

"Riiiight."

As soon as the remaining fuel reached 10%, the duo began to watch the enemy's movements more closely upon landing.

 **XXXXXXX**

Above, a five-ship Hornet squadron began their approach towards the group's position.

"This is Artemis 1, we are apporaching your position. Preparing for attack run, danger close." The leader informed the group.

"Solid copy, Artemis 1. Kaizuka out." The Pilot responded.

"All units, attack formation."

"Copy that, sir." Artemis 2 complied.

The aircraft began to turn left in attack formation. As they approached the area, the enemy's appearance surprised them.

"Damn, what is that thing?" Artemis 1 asked.

"I don't know, sir." Artemis 5 responded with the same expression. "Could be the IMC's new Titan design."

"A'ight then." He began to contact Kaizuka. "Kaizuka, this is Artemis 1, we are commencing attack. Danger close!"

"Copy that." Kaizuka responded before dashing away from the enemy unit.

"All units, weapons free!"

The Hornets began to fire their payload of numerous air-to-ground missiles at the target. The damage caused by them further weakened the machine's strength. To Kaizuka and KG, an opportunity was found.

"Now!" The duo sprinted towards the machine as it was standing back due to the airstrikes. A boost-assisted jump brought the Titan up as KG pointed the plasma blade for a final blow.

It struck the machine through its chest. The arms and legs stood motionless as the intense heat melted or cut off critical systems. Upon removal, the enemy kneeled before falling down in an explosion.

"Enemy hostile down." KG confirmed. "That was a difficult battle, Pilot. Good work."

"Yeah...whew!" Kaizuka sighed. "I better need some rest."

"Yeah! Get some!" Jake shouted in victory as he raised his arms up high.

"Artemis, good effect on target." Kaizuka thanked the Artemis Squadron.

"Roger that, Kaizuka. We are Winchester at this time. Returning to base, out." Artemis 1 responded as his squadron followed him for the flight back to their carrier.

Kaizuka and KG followed Jake and the girl to one of the trucks as the latter was being shielded by the shade from the sun. The Pilot got out of his Titan to see them.

"How is she?" He asked as the girl was sleeping on a bench.

"She's resting pretty well, sir." Jake quietly responded. "Don't want to wake her up."

"Affirmative. I understand your intentions."

Ironically, the girl began to wake up. She placed her right hand on her head before noticing the two men.

"Excuse me." This caught the duo off-guard and they began attending to her. "Where...am I?"

"You are currently awake from possible long-term hibernation, ma'am." Kaizuka answered. "IMC forces might have kept you away for quite a while."

"I...see. One question: what are your names?"

"I'm Second Lieutenant Inaho Kaizuka." The Pilot introduced himself. "We are from the Frontier Militia."

"Second Lieutenant Jackson van der Berg, Frontier Militia." The Hornet airman followed. "What about you, ma'am?"

She began to adjust herself in sitting down before revealing her identity.

"I am Asseylum Vers Allusia, Princess of Vers."

The name surprised the men.

"Oh...sorry, your Highness! We didn't know that you are royalty." Kaizuka apologized.

"No need to worry. What matters is that you two rescued me from the IMC. Our home has been invaded by them and our forces tried their best to defend but they were beaten in numerous battles. They recently captured me but I can't remember what happened after."

Kaizuka gave her a gentle pat.

"Huh?"

"It's alright. Right now, you are under the protection of the Militia. If you need help, we could provide assistance."

"Thank you, Kaizuka." The princess sighed in relief after hearing the words.

A radio transmission was picked up.

"This is Gates, we are approaching your position." Gates informed. "What is your status, over?"

Kaizuka began responding. "This is Mustang 2, well...it appears that we have an actual princess here, ma'am."

"Are you sure about this?" A surprised tone came from the leader of the 6-4.

"Positive."

A few minutes after, the 6-4, Cooper, GR, and other allied forces arrived using five captured trucks. The foot men disembarked to secure the area and Gates and Cooper walked towards the trio.

"Where's the princess?" Cooper asked.

"Right here, sir." Jake pointed to Asseylum and the latter stood up to see the Militia.

"On behalf of all of Vers, I thank you for rescuing me." Asseylum thanked while doing a bow.

"It is our pleasure, your Highness." Gates responded. "We fight together, mainly as a family."

Asseylum let out a chuckle "And I would say that this is your philosophy?"

"Correct, no loose cannons on the 6-4." The captain then began to introduce herself and the team. "By the way, I'm Commander Gates and this is my unit. Pleasure to meet you."

"I'm Asseylum Vers Allusia, Princess of Vers." The princess followed.

"Jack Cooper, Frontier Militia's Marauder Corps." The Pilot introduced himself. "It's an honor being in your presence."

"Thank you so much, Cooper."

Then, Kaizuka came forward to see the veteran.

"Excuse me, mind if I have a word with you?" Kaizuka asked. "Princess, I would like to have some time with him."

"Go ahead, Kaizuka. I'm listening."

"You may, Kaizuka." Asseylum agreed and the Pilot nodded in reply before leaving with Cooper.

The young pilot guided his superior towards the wreck of the mysterious enemy.

"What do you want to talk about, Kaizuka?" Cooper asked.

"Sir, there is something I would like to show you." The Pilot responded. "This is unlike anything we have ever seen."

When they arrived, Cooper was shocked at the appearance despite its current state.

"What is that thing? Is that even a Titan?"

"No idea, KG confirmed that it is not from a known Titan design. As for allegiance, more so."

"That reminds me." He took out a tablet to show Kaizuka the intel. "We have encountered some observation reports regarding that same kind of machine. Whatever it was, the IMC might be on their way to gaining an edge."

"Just like what happened today." The Pilot let out a sigh.

"How does it feel like to fight it?" Cooper asked.

"It feels much more different than the Titan battles we ever faced." Kaizuka explained his experience. "Almost like we were fighting a different enemy."

"Guess so. It's not surprising." He then decided to leave. "Time to get going, Kaizuka. We should be on our way getting the princess out of here."

"Right." Kaizuka agreed and the two began their return trip to Asseylum and the rest of the Militia forces.

Asseylum watched as the Militia forces did their duties in preparation for her extraction. What caught her eye were KG and GR as they stood by protecting her and her new allies.

 _"Are those kataphrakts? They look different than the ones I know."_

As she watched, she also noticed the arrival of Cooper and Kaizuka upon turning her head to the left. Once the two gave out a wave, she smiled back.

 **(Undisclosed location)**

In a medical facility, a young man with white hair woke up from a long sleep.

"What...happened?"

An unusual sound was emitted beside him. When he looked at his left arm, he noticed that it was replaced by a prosthetic one. Then, the door in front of him was opened to reveal two guards, each wearing a blue-tinted grey uniform and a pair of red shoulder guards, and a man with a neatly-trimmed blonde hair.

"Ah, you're awake Slaine." He greeted. "Welcome back."

"Yeah...ugggh." He began to sit upright. "How long was I asleep?"

"A month. We put you on coma before surgery after bravely defending her Highness Asseylum. It's sad that we are still unable to locate her, but we do have some updates."

"What update, Crutheo?" Slaine asked.

"There has been another force appearing on Vers recently. A few hours after, they left the planet."

"That's it?"

"So far, yes." Crutheo began to turn around as he began to leave. "By the way, you should change up and meet me again in an hour. Get your strength back."

"I will." The man left.

For Slaine, an important mission is at hand.

 _A/N: Here is the first chapter of this fanfic. Combining_ _and_ Titanfall _lore took a while but it's worh it._ _Leave a review and follow if you can._

 _For players reading, the update, "A Glitch in the Frontier," for_ Titanfall 2 _will be released shortly on April 25. Get ready for combat._

 _Paomayo, out._


	2. Chapter 2 - Memories and Inheritance

**(Undisclosed location)**

Fully-changed to his standard uniform, Slaine was heading for the briefing room as instructed by Crutheo. Fresh from his long slumber due to the medically-induced coma that came before his surgery, he was slightly struggling to move properly but he was determined to overcome the pain.

When he arrived at the entrance, Crutheo and some officers of the Imperial military were discussing about the latest reports from the front. There was some progress in defeating the invaders.

Slaine walked towards the table to inform them of his presense and made the usual salute. "Excuse me everyone, Imperial Knight Slaine Troyard reporting."

"Take a seat, Troyard." Crutheo allowed him.

"Yes, my Lord." Slaine took a seat on one of the empty chairs.

Crutheo exhaled as a way to refresh himself before resuming the briefing. "Now...for the past two days, the IMC has been losing ground due to an unknown force that have entered our space for reasons unknown." A hologram displaying the last recorded position of the unknown force was shown. "This allowed our forces to regain some of the lost territory."

"Good news." Slaine sighed a bit.

"As well, Klancain's troops have managed to capture one of the IMC's facilities at the Dionys Desert. What they found surprised us..." The images displayed the wreckages of green walkers that resemble the Kataphrakts of the IMC. Slaine felt just as surprised as the forces back in the base. "Right now, we are interrogating some of the survivors as we speak in the hopes that we can get some more information."

"And do we have any whereabouts of the Herschel prototype that disappeared?" One officer asked.

"They have already found the wreck already." The holographic image displayed the wreck of the unmanned prototype. "One of our only chances to turn the tide of the war was destroyed in an unceremonious end."

"Who could do such a thing?" Slaine asked with interest.

"We can't say for certain. In the meantime, you should prepare for anything serious." The count suggested. "There is still a long road ahead for us."

"On my, my Lord." The young man responded.

 **(** **Harmony)**

The MCS _Topeka_ and the surviving ships of the 7th Militia Fleet arrived near the orbit of the planet after making a few jumps from New Bethlehem. Inside the bridge, the deck officers began to make contact with the control center to inform them of their arrival.

In command of the ship was a middle-aged woman with brown hair and dark grey eyes. Upon connection, she began to speak on the radio. "Harmony Command, this is the 7th Militia Fleet, we are on approach to planet orbit." She reported.

"Affirmative 7th Fleet, we have you on radar. Maintain current course." The operator responded. "Welcome back Captain Humeray."

A slight smile came from the captain's lips as a sign of a successful return and completion of their operation. "You too."

Two seconds after, an officer arrived. "Excuse me, ma'am."

"Got anything?" She turned her head towards the man.

"Captain, Princess Asseylum and Second Lieutenant Kaizuka are standing by outside the bridge." He began to utter their request. "The former requested entry."

Knowing that the princess will be visiting the bridge for a permitted look at the planet she will be on for a while, Humeray decided to give the all-clear. "Bring them in."

"Yes Captain." The officer went to the door to open before meeting the two again. While Kaizuka was wearing his usual Pilot gear and outfit, Asseylum was wearing a green jacket and trousers provided by the crew. "You two are free to enter."

"Thank you, sir." The princess gladly responded and she, alongside Kaizuka, entered the bridge. Humeray turned her head to see the two.

"Welcome to the bridge, Your Highness." The captain greeted. "On behalf of the crew of the MCS Topeka, it's an honor."

"Thank you for your allowing me to come here, Captain Humeray." Asseylum thanked her. "I appreciate your gratitude."

"You're welcome. Take the time you need to see the planet - we have plenty to offer when we land." The princess and the Pilot began to head for one of the port windows not occupied by the deck officers. Upon seeing Harmony and her natural beauty for the first time, Asseylum felt awed as she grasped both of her hands together.

"It's beautiful... This is Harmony, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." Kaizuka replied. "This planet is the headquarters for the Militia."

"Their headquarters..." She then thought of one thing upon seeing the extensive vegetation and water on its surface. "I've never seen much water and greenery before."

"First time seeing this?" His arms were crossed as he talked.

"Not on this scale. On my homeworld, the palace where I live in has a large garden which I occasionally visit. Outside of it, lush vegetation are a bit uncommon and the people of my home take great responsibility of conserving that limited resource."

"Then, how are your people able to survive?"

"Well, we do manufacture seeds for food and have access to underground water reserves but after the IMC began their invasion of Vers, the situation slowly began to grow worse for us." She turned her head away towards the planet and began to unexpectedly mourn. "Besides...I have a friend back there who might be in trouble aftet taking a blow for me."

"A friend?" Kaizuka responded with a surprised tone. In turn, Asseylum slowly nodded her head without taking a look at the Pilot.

"His name was Slaine Troyard..."

 **XXXXXXX**

 **(10 years ago)**

Under a star-lit night, a royal limousine was carrying members of the royal family after conducting an important business. The vehicle was well-protected by four white sedans, two of which at the front and another pair at the rear.

The convoy approached the western entrance to the capital city of Tharsis. Being the planet's most important city for political and commercial purposes, the area was heavily-defended with a mix of anti-air and ground-focused weaponry. Despite those, the city was a shining one where skyscrapers with a tall and sleek design dominate the skyline. More importantly, the Imperial Palace, the biggest and the tallest structure, was the main landmark of the nation. As well, the people were either on their way home or heading out to bars scattered throughout the city.

As the convoy took a left turn for the palace, Asseylum looked out from her right window seeing some of the people being rough on each other due to various issues. A few moments after, she barely noticed a young boy with silver hair being beaten up by a group of three older men. His body and clothing were stained by his blood as a result. With horror on her face, she began to make her move.

"STOP THE CAR!"

The moment the order was given, the limousine stopped and Asseylum got out of it to attend to the boy's need. The guards assigned to the convoy became worried by the girl's reckless actions.

"Your Highness, wait! Don't go out on your own!" One of them shouted with concern.

To the princess, even if the move was considered as a foolish one, she knew that he does not deserve suffering or potential death.

"I told you to answer me, Troyard!" One of the men demanded. As the group closed in, the boy lay almost motionless against a wall.

"I…."

"STOP!" A feminine voice with high authority echoed through the ears of the three men and the boy, who began to barely open his eyes and move his head towards the source.

To the former, when they turned their backs towards the voice, they felt surprised. Standing in front of their view was Princess Asseylum. "Your Highness!?"

"What do you think you are doing to the poor, innocent boy?" She asked very seriously.

"You see...we tried…" The men tried to make an excuse but it failed to make her buy it.

"Cease your illicit activites immediately right now and bring him to me at once!" As the demand was uttered out, the royal guards came towards her side to protect her. Combining those two actions, the men were powerless.

"Ruuuunnn!" They began their escape. In turn, three of the guards gave chase.

"Stop them!"

The princess arrived to the boy, still injured and bleeding. Ignoring the latter, she held his back and another guard came to help.

"He needs medical attention, someone get the doctors ready!" Asseylum requested.

"Right away, Your Highness!" Another guard complied.

She hoped that the boy will be healed back to full strength. As he was being carried, the boy opened his eyes to see the princess.

"You...Your High...ness…" He tried to call her title. "I…"

"You will be alright. I promise you." She assured him. "Just hold on a little longer."

His vision slowly faded to black as his eyes began to close. The princess was shocked upon seeing it.

"Oh no…! We need to move!" The voice slowly died down on his head.

 **XXXXXXX**

"Ugh…"

His eyes began to open up when he awakened himself from his ordeal. The first thing he saw was a white ceiling with lights coming out. As he brought his upper body up, he can see a blanket covering the other half. As well, a medical compound was attached to his left hand viana needle and his body was covered in bandages where his wounds were found.

"Am I...in a hospital?" The next moment came when a door was opened to reveal a blonde girl with green eyes escorted by a male doctor with his white coat and trousers. He can instantly recognize the former. "Your Highness?"

"How are you feeling, my dear sir?" She asked.

"F...F...Fine, I guess."

"Your Highness, he should be fully-recovered in three weeks time." The doctor made an assessment on his condition.

"Thank you for the good news, doctor." Asseylum responded in relief.

"You're welcome." He bowed in respect.

"If you excuse me, I'll need to talk to him for a while in private. Would that be okay?"

"I suppose so, Your Highness. I shall be waiting outside."

"Thank you." He bowed before leaving the room. Once that was done, she turned her attention to the patient.

"Your Highness, I couldn't thank you enough for saving my life." The boy began talking. "It's an honor for receiving this treatment." A nod came in response from the princess.

"The most important thing is that you are going to be okay." She responded. "If I hadn't come to you that night and stop those men, you might have been gone by now."

"But why?" He was puzzled by her actions. "Why would you go on towards me when I was in danger? You might be hurt because of them."

"Everyone deserves another chance…" She began to sit down on a vacant chair. "...even you."

The boy felt the kindness coming from her. "Princess...I…"

"What is your name?" A request was made.

"Slaine Troyard...Your Highness." He gave out his name.

All the princess did was smile warmly as her first meeting with a commoner.

 **(7 years later)**

Years have passed since that fateful encounter and Slaine, now trained as an Imperial Knight, was assigned as Asseylum's bodyguard. Not everyone approved of his current position, with some knights doubting of his ability to serve to the fullest. The princess, however, was optimistic from the start as she hoped that he can exceed expectations.

Today's duty for him was to escort the princess to a city to negotiate with the local leaders. For him, this will prove his worth.

"Are you sure he will be ready for this, milady?" The princess' handmaiden, a young lady with light brown hair tied to a bun, asked her. "I'm starting to get worried for his well-being."

"He'll be fine, Eddelrittuo." Asseylum assured her. "I have faith in him."

"For a commoner, he is quited determined. I'll give him that."

After the conversation ended, Slaine moved forward to escort the princess. "Are you ready to go, Your Majesty?"

"Right. We shall leave at once." The trio began to head outside for their waiting limousine.

 **XXXXXXX**

"...ever since then, he has been at my side protecting me at every turn." Asseylum finished her story. This was enough to make the Pilot hearing it move.

"I...I kinda feel sad for him, considering how he had been through those tough times." Kaizuka expressed his sympathy to him.

Captain Humeray went towards the two with an update. "Excuse me you two, you have your transport waiting at the hangar. Commander Briggs will be waiting for you until you arrive."

"Thank you, Captain."

"Girard, show the two to the hangar." The captain requested a specific officer to guide them to the hangar.

"Yes ma'am." The officer known as Girard moved forward towards Asseylum and Kaizuka. "If we may Lieutenant, Princess…"

Kaizuka nodded before turning to see the princess. "We'll be going now." The three began their walk towards the hangar where a waiting Crow Dropship was on stand-by.

The princess, for her part, formed a question on her mind that she will use to ask Kaizuka. "By the way...back when you first rescued me, what are those walking machines with the orange and green colors?"

"Oh, you mean the Titans?" This intrigued Asseylum.

"Titans?"

"They are machines built for both civilian and military applications in areas where they are very dangerous to us. Even the IMC makes use of those. The ones you saw are ours, the Vanguard-class."

"I see." Satisfied with the answer, she began to reveal her set of information. "As well, Vers has similar machines called Kataphrakts. They guard our lands from any threats but they are reserved for the more experienced soldiers and, often, those of nobility."

"So, they are basically limited to those decorated?" Kaizuka let out his question to which the princess promptly answered.

"Yes Kaizuka."

Remembering the one he and Jake previously encountered, he began to think of a few major repercussions. _"That machine from earlier_ _must have been the Kataphrakt Asseylum was talking about. I sure hope nothing bad happens after that or the princess would surely get mad."_

On the way to the hangar, Cooper appeared in front of the group with his gear in place but his helmet was not worn. "Excuse me." He requested. "I'll be joining you two since I was called back to HQ."

"Glad you will be coming with us, sir." Kaizuka responded.

"No problem, Lieutenant." He turned his head to see the princess. "How's your stay here, Princess?"

"So far, it was good. They are enough to help me recover my strength."

The group arrived at the hangar where a pilot was waiting on the left side of the dropship. While the design may look a bit outdated to Asseylum's eyes considering the extensive service record these vehicles have, they were still reliable enough to be used for years to come.

"Welcome aboard, Lieutenants and Princess." The pilot greeted them with his right arm saluting. "Come this way." He moved the same arm to guide them in.

Asseylum took a seat on the right side of the ship beside a large, rectangular window. With the doors and other points of entry closed, the entire cabin and cockpit was being pressurized to allow the occupants to breath. A few moments later, the dropship was powered up and it began to leave both the hangar and the safety within the 7th Militia Fleet. Greeting her were the remaining vessels as they moved on.

"Jump calculations are complete. Alright, this will be a quick one." The pilot began to activate the ship's Jump Drive. "3...2...1...mark!"

The ship instantly moved forward away from the fleet as a brief trail was formed due to the effects of the proceedure. The next moment came when it arrived at the planet's atmosphere. The scenery instantly amazed Asseylum as she watched the green fields and blue sky decorating it. Clouds made the finishing touches to the latter as their bright white color contrast the blue horizon.

"This is...amazing." She made her comment positively while under the effects of the planet's natural beauty.

"There are still more to see if you have the time, Princess." Kaizuka offered a small token. "But not today."

Cooper, taking advantage of the moment, turned his to the pilot. "I think that was on purpose, correct?"

"Partly sir. A good idea if she can refresh for a while." The pilot offered his explanation.

"Not buying it, ya know."

"I'm not joking." He mocked.

A few minutes after, they arrived at the outer perimeter of the headquarters. The busy schedule and atmosphere dominated the scene due to both battles and intelligence-gathering happening at the same time outside Harmony. The dropship began to land at an assigned platform as a ground crewman guided it during the whole proceedure. Upon completion, the ship slowly powered down before the rear doors was opened to allow the passengers to disembark.

The first thing Asseylum did was turning her head as she looked around.

"This is the Militia's headquarters, Your Highness." Cooper introduced. "We'll be meeting with Commander Briggs and many of the Militia officers shortly."

"Thank you for reminding me Cooper." She responded.

"If we may lead you…"

"Please do." The two Titan Pilots went ahead of Asseylum and she followed them through a place unknown to her. As they moved on, she felt some vibrations and heard some loud footsteps not far from her. When she turned her head to the left, two Titans were moving in formation calmly. She concluded that they were on patrol.

After covering several meters, a woman wearing a blue suit, a vest, and a red bandana on her head was waiting at the entrance. The two Pilots saluted and the woman did the same in response.

"Ma'am, Pilots Cooper and Kaizuka reporting in." The older Pilot informed her of their presense.

"I see that you gentlemen got the job done pretty nicely." She was previously briefed on their mission.

"Yes ma'am." Kaizuka nodded. "Oh, we also have a VIP with us." He backed away to reveal to the superior Asseylum. "Her name is Asseylum Vers Allusia, Princess of Vers from the planet New Bethlehem."

The princess stepped forward ahead of the Pilots to make her introduction. "Hello there, I am Princess Asseylum Vers Allusia of Vers. It's an honor to meet you." She bowed her head.

"Pleasure to meet as well. I'm Commander Sarah Briggs of the Milita's Marauder Corps." The commander introduced herself. "From what I've heard from the 7th Fleet, your planet has a civilization that has been under attack from the IMC, am I correct?

"Yes, Commander Briggs. Our lands have been violated by the IMC and I was temporarily captured until Lieutenant Kaizuka and Lieutenant van der Berg came to rescue me." She made her case for a request. "So far, they were kind to help me until I make my return to set things right."

"We'll see what we can do to help. In the meantime, Kaizuka and Cooper will help make your stay more welcoming."

"Thank you for your generosity. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome. Now...let's head inside." Briggs began to head inside the building with the rest of the group following closely. "We have your data concerning the tech the IMC has from that black site; ironically, most of it failed to be used operationally."

"Yes ma'am, and I also managed to get a sample in the form of a plasma sword." Kaizuka revealed more information.

"Lucky you, Lieutenant." She made a comment. "At least we have some more concrete evidence."

Cooper stepped in. "Commander Briggs, the 6-4 also made a theory that the tech the IMC had acquired need something in order for them to function. We haven't have much luck as of now."

"Don't worry, we'll try our best to look more carefully. In the meantime, you people get some rest."

"Yes ma'am." The Pilots responded.

"Your Highness, follow me please."

"I will." Asseylum replied before turning her head to the Pilots. "I'll see you two later."

"Be careful out there, Princess." Cooper encouraged.

"Sure thing." With that, she smiled before continuing with her journey.

Kaizuka began to make a request. "Mind if I borrow some of your time with you, sir?"

"Go ahead. What do you want to talk about?"

"Sir, I managed to get some information from the princess." He began to reveal them. "Apparently, that unknown Titan that we have encountered back then wasn't a Titan at all." This caught Cooper off-guard.

"What?"

"Really sir, from what she'd told me, that thing was called a Kataphrakt and it was a machine native to New Bethlehem. Their numbers, however, were limited due to their availability; they are only available to high-ranking soldiers and the nobility."

Cooper calmed himself down. "So we might have accidentally killed off a native in that machine?"

"KG confirmed they were no life signs within it, probably an unmanned-type. That should buy us some time."

"Let's hope we don't piss off the princess if something contradicting was confirmed. I'm starting to get a bit worried for both of you."

"I know sir - same goes to me." Kaizuka exhaled after the sentence with his eyes closed.

"Speaking of which, we might as well head for the mess hall. That should calm us down." The older Pilot suggested.

"Works with me, sir." The other one agreed.

 **(Frontier farming colony)**

"AAAAAGGGHHH!"

This was a shout of a Militia grunt as a fragmentation grenade exploded close to him a moment earlier. The force of the explosion sent the soldier flying to the ground where he will be left to die.

Nearby, a mercenary Pilot from the Angel City Elite and a Militia officer, a camouflaged Simulacrum, were taking cover due to IMC fire. The latter briefly broke hers as she began to open fire using her G2A5 Battle Rifle. She pressed the trigger multiple times in quick succession before taking cover again to reload.

"How are your troops going, Major?" The mercenary asked.

"They're already entering the southern section as we speak." The officer replied before breaking his cover to fire using his R-201 Carbine. "At this point, we should be able to make our move much more safely."

"Copy that, sir!" Hugging the walls, they waited for any updates as they held their ground.

Then, most of the gunfire stopped and a radio transmission was picked up. "Major, this is Captain Mathis. We have secured the nest and are en route to the main force. Anyone copy?"

"This is Major Moretti, we're moving out. Keep the fire goin!'" He shouted his response

"Affirmative." The transmission ended.

Moretti then turned his head to the mercenary. "Areash, now's our chance - move, move!"

The two operatives and the remaining five grunts moved on as they opened fire on the remaining IMC forces. With confidence, they braved the remaining fire while shooting back. A moment later, a radio transmission was sent.

"Areash, your Titan is ready to go. Call when ready." The operator gave her the all-clear.

"Sending coordinates." Areash then relayed the location to the operator.

"We have your coordinates, standby for Titanfall!" Almost immediately, a large object was dropping from the sky at a high velocity. Then, a few sections of it were separated from the main unit and it landed safely. From the proceedure, her _Ion_ -class Titan was ready for battle.

"Major, I'll provide support fire. Watch those corners." She requested.

"Don't worry about it. We'll be careful."

"That's what I would like to hear." While speaking, her Titan grabbed hold of her and placed the Pilot into the cockpit for manual control. The hatch closed almost immediately.

"All systems transferred to Pilot." The Titan's OS uttered.

"Let's begin." Areash uttered quietly. The Titan then began to move forward as she activated her Vortex Shield to grab as much of the IMC gunfire as possible. She released the button that let the projectiles fire back towards the source.

"Suppressing fire!" One Militia soldier ordered the remaining men.

Just as hope and confidence were almost lost for the embattled IMC forces, a Titan pair consisting of _Northstar_ and _Legion_ -class chassis arrived to assist.

"One Militia Ion detected. All units, be on the lookout." The Pilot of the _Legion_ warned the remaining forces. He began to spin his Predator Cannon in preparation to fire while his Gun Shield was activated to protect his chassis.

"Shit - get clear!" Areash shouted to the remaining troops near her.

"Find cover!" Moretti relayed the order. Every Militia foot soldier under his command rushed for cover as the _Legion_ 's cannon opened fire at a fast rate. Areash activated her Vortex Shield to catch as many of the bullets as she can.

"This is Areash, requesting assistance! We're under fire from two Titans!" She pleaded for help.

"Hold on Areash, I'm on my way." Mathis heard her call.

Nearby, he quickly moved forward while braving through gunfire coming from the IMC soldiers. With his C.A.R. SMG at hand, he opened fire in bursts towards the soldiers. After killing two of them, he slid to cover before cooking a fragmentation grenade. It was then thrown towards another IMC position before the resulting explosion killed an additional three.

The SMG was reloaded in preparation for another short sprint. Confidently, he broke his cover and dashed forward towards the two Titans. As the remaining IMC forces tried to shoot, gunfire from Mathis' forces forced them to take cover. A moment later, he arrived at the rear of the Titans and he prepared a Firestar to distract it.

"Throwing Firestar!" He shouted as he threw it towards the rear of the _Legion_. The impact caused it to ignite and spread thermite like paint onto the rear hull.

"Warning: enemy Pilot attacking." The OS warned.

"What?!" The Pilot reacted in surprise. "Deploying smoke...all units, we need support!"

The electric smoke was deployed which made Mathis be engulfed within it. It was then charged enough to make the smoke lethal to any human within its effect.

"Did it got him?" The _Legion_ Pilot asked. "Please confirm."

No response came from the IMC foot units. "Any IMC units, do you copy?"

"Warning: hostile Pilot on the hull. Battery loss imminent." The sentence shocked the Pilot.

"Crap!" After shouting, the bullets he fired against the Militia forces in front of him were returned back against him which damaged the shield. Then, the cannon was out of ammunition and he began to fall back. "Anvil, cover me - I'm reloading!"

As the _Legion_ began reloading, the _Northstar_ liftef off to provide support. Areash moved forward with her Titan to make the next move.

"He's charging in." Anvil commented before an alarm was sounded. "Dammit…!"

He began to make evasive maneuvers as a missile was fired against him. He moved left in an attempt to make the turning angle for the missile hard to execute. Suddenly, his Titan was shot by a laser beam.

"Aaaagghhh!" The Titan's rear hull took a direct hit before fire began to break out. "Mayday, mayday!"

It went down and upon knowing that it will explode, he ejected from his Titan. He watched his machine unceremoniously explode before his very eyes as the _Ion_ moved in to finish off the _Legion_.

After the _Legion_ finished reloading, he began to open fire. Areash dashed quickly to take advantage of the enemy's heavy weight which limit its mobility. It failed to hit her before the _Ion_ opened fire with its Splitter Rifle.

"There's an opening, move!" Moretti shouted. The men followed him immediately after.

The _Legion_ sustained heavy damage as Areash and her Titan attacked hit mercilessly. They sliced off the left arm of the IMC Titan to render the Predator Cannon useless to fire. The cockpit was also punched and the Pilot was exposed to the mercy of the Militia Titan.

"AAAAAAAAAAHHH-!" He was grabbed by the right hand and the Titan smashed him to the ground. Areash then kicked the empty _Legion_ to send it crashing down.

"Hostile eliminated." The _Ion_ OS confirmed.

"Whew!" Areash sighed as the fight concluded. "Glad that's over."

The forces under Moretti came towards the Titan with their weapons still armed. Then, gunfire erupted as bullets hit two of his men.

"Shots fired, shots fired!" They turned their heads to the left and opened fire at the source. Areash quickly disembarked from her Titan and gave chase to the one that started the shooting. Within the vegetation was the surviving _Northstar_ Pilot from earlier.

"I see him!" With her Gravity Star in place, she sprinted towards the IMC Pilot as she calculated the weapon's trajectory. Then, she threw the star towards him. Its field began to pull the Pilot and make him struggle to get out.

Then, he was quickly shot by Areash multiple times. Blood began to gush out and after the effect dissipate, his body was sent to the ground. Areash lowered her weapon as she knew that the battle has been concluded.

 **XXXXXXX**

Sometime after, the area was under full Militia control as dropships arrived to relieve the remaining units with reinforcements and evacuation. Areash, for her part, sat on a log while drinking water. Without her helmet on, her short hairstyle and purple eyes made her more visible.

The most noticeable visitor to the colony was the leader of ACES, Robert "Barker" Taube. Judging from his behaviour, he has not consumed some alcohol in a while. When he arrived, he found Major Moretti and Captain Mathis.

"Is Areash still here?" Barker asked.

"Over there, sir." Mathis pointed to Areash.

Barker turned his head before calling her. "Areash, I need to see you!"

She stood up before running to meet him. "Got anything, Barker?"

"Listen, HQ just gave us some new orders. Unfortunately, they are classified at the moment."

"If it's classified, I'll take it."

"You're sure about this? After all, we still have some other folks to attend to."

"I won't back away this time." She insisted.

"Hah! Glad you are still on the boat with us." Barker then attended to Mathis. "Captain, we should be moving on."

"Yes sir." He responded. Then, Mathis turned his head to Moretti. "Major, we'll be leaving."

"We thank you two for helping us today." Moretti extended his hand and a handshake was performed. "If you need us, we'll be there."

"Affirmative." Areash followed.

 **(Frontier Militia Headquarters, Harmony)**

The dropship carrying the two ACES mercenaries arrived at the landing platform as nightfall came to the side of the planet the headquarters was situated on. The landing lights coming from the dropship lit the platform during the proceedure and they were turned off shortly after landing. At this point, the right-side door was opened to reveal Barker and the two operatives without their helmets on. They both disembarked and began their walk towards the building.

A few minutes after, with Barker leading the two operatives, they entered the building. Mathis was starting to get a bit concerned. "Sir, what do you know about this operation?"

"For starters, the guys at New Bethlehem has uncovered evidence of an advanced civilization residing there." Barker explained. "They even managed to rescue a young princess, from what Commander Briggs had told me."

"A young princess, sir?" Areash was intrigued.

"Ah...well, this isn't the first time the Milita has encountered an actual one. There was another planet that has that person, but I won't divulge any of the info since that's not important right now."

"Looks like things has just gotten wierder from that point, I see."

"You bet. And that means it might have the good shit the IMC has been trying to find for a while." Barker stopped this topic to focus on the more important events. "Anyway, we should be meeting Briggs right now."

"Affirmative, sir." Mathis gave out a nod before the group continued walking.

They reached the entrance to the room where they will be briefed of their next assignment. Barker reached out for the control panel to type in the security passcode. After it was typed, the panel switched to green and the doors opened almost immediately.

"Right this way, you two." Barker guided Areash and Mathis inside. Within the room, Briggs was talking to three officers about their next move on New Bethlehem. "Briggs, Areash and Mathis are here."

Briggs turned her head towards the two officers. "It's good that you people are here today. We have a new operation waiting for you."

"Say the word, ma'am." Mathis responded. "We'll honor it."

 **XXXXXXX**

The next day, the selected Pilots, as well as regular SRS operatives, were assembled at a briefing room in which Briggs and Barker were to brief them of their new assignment. The two arrived inside, alongside a beautiful blonde girl.

"Settle down people." Barker requested and the sound of dutiful silence filled the air. "Alright, thank you for your cooperation. Briggs?"

"Thank you, Barker." She nodded before beginning the briefing. "To start off, this mission will be for your eyes only. As well, we have someone who will be joining in for this op." She turned her head to the right towards the girl. "Your Majesty..."

The one stepping forward was Princess Asseylum. This made the operatives intrigued. "Good day soldiers of the Frontier Militia, I am Princess Asseylum Vers Allusia of Vers, or New Bethlehem as you people called. I am here because me and my people are suffering from the oppression of the IMC. After meeting with your leaders and hearing the Militia's exploits, I believe that you are the only ones who can help free our world."

"Thank you for the introduction, Your Majesty." Briggs nodded.

"You're welcome, Commander." The princess moved herself away to allow the two commanders to brief them.

"For the past seven days, our scouts have reported fighting around New Bethlehem between the IMC and unknown forces. While we have yet to identify the latter, Asseylum made a conclusion that local resistance parties are currently fighting against the IMC. As well, there are reports of unknown Titans roaming the area."

The last line caught Kaizuka off-guard. _"The Kataphrakts…"_

The screen began to display the planet and marked points for landing. Barker took over to explain. "That's where you people come in - we'll take advantage of the situation by sending a small raiding force, three teams to be exact, to meet up with the resistance and build an alliance to combat the IMC. As well, we have managed to locate an interstellar beacon 190 klicks north of the landing point. If we can capture it, reinforcements will be sent in to assist."

"Are they understood, Pilots and soldiers?" Briggs asked the operatives.

"Yes ma'am!" They responded in unison.

"Gear up troops, we're going in. Dismissed!" The operatives stood up as they head for their dropships to be ferried to the _Topeka_.

 _A/N: So it begins… The characters will begin to liberate the planet and hope for the best._

 _Some ideas were cut in the writing process but they will be added in the next chapter to make things more relatable to the previous ones._


End file.
